Extensible plank or the like



Aug. 24, 1948. L. c. M CLINTOCK EXTENSIBLE PLANK OR THE LIKE F iled Oct. 4, 1945 Patented Aug. 24,

Lewis Clef McClintock, Palmdale, Calif., assignor to Doris -M. Brown, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 4, 1945, Serial No. 620,226

Claims. (01. 304--38) My invention relates toextensible scaffolding I planks, and to means. for. mounting said planks in position and for holding same together.

Manifestly an-objectof my invention is to provide a light in weight and substantially strong meta-l. structure; having. means for. holdinga boarder a set of boards in place, also having means at each. end thereof. adapted for interlocking a pair of said metal Structures together, whereby a one continuous plank for scaffolding may be formed. p

Further object of my invention is to provide said metal. structures with suitable means for forming male and female interlocking members,

with which to lock and to hold in position. said.

structures, when placedv and locked together.

Another object of my invention is to provide said metal structures with means, disposed at. the extended ends and when same are interlocked together, said means being so arranged whereby a plank so assembled may be attached and. be held in place. up the rungs of a ladder, and for preventing said plank from. slipping out of position.

A further object of my invention is to provide each end of said metal structure with a. safety lock, for preventing said plank sections from becoming disengaged, when in position.

My invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed. in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical in manufacture, relatively simple, and of; general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description.

:Reference is now had to the accompanying drawings, in which the similar reference characters, denote the same parts- In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a plank.

Fig. 2 is. a vertical sectional view thereof, taken on the lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is another vertical sectional view, taken in the direction of arrows 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the planks end section, taken in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the plank, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a. longitudinal and slightly enlarged vertically sectional view, showing one plank in assembled form, and showing in dotted lines an end of another plank attached thereto, disclos-- ing safety lock.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View, through the safety lock, taken on. the line 'i--'l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary and vertically sectional view ofthe plank end sections, showing the safety lock in position.

Describing my invention more in detail, saidinvention comprises ametal structure plank generally designated by numeral 2, which consists of a front header member 4, mounted at one end of a pair of side channel members 6 and 8, the extended ends of which are provided with a. rear.

header member l0.

Said front header member 41 comprises-a bottom plate section I2 and a front plate strip 14, whereon an upper ledge member 16 is positinned, while said rear header Ill, is also provided with a bottom plate section 13, having. a. rear plate strip 20 and whereon a bottom ledge member 22 is mounted, as shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 8.

Said rear header ill, at the underside of said bottom plate section 18, is provided with a cross: rod member 24 having its ends 25 extending partially from the sides 26 and 28, see Fig. 5,, while the side members 30 and 32 of said front headermember 4 are provided with locking extensions 34 and36, each of which having a suit,- able slot 38, which are for the purpose of engaging said extendedv ends 25 of said cross rod.

member 24. i

Theends of said side channel members 8 and 8 are welded to said sides 26, 28, 30 and. 32 of said headers 4 and 6 respectively, thus providing a space 39 wherein suitable boards 40 and 42 are placed, allowing said boards to be laid therein. first on one side and then on the other, thus causing the top channel leg sections 44 and 46 to hold said boards in place and preventing said boards from slipping or falling out from their: set positons.

In order to further insure the position of said boards 43 and 42, a pair of under-strips 48 are 3 to engage the extended ends 25 of said cross rod 24, and thereby preventing the joint of said planks, so assembled, from shifting sidewardly and vertically, when a pressure or weight is applied upon said joint, from the top.

It may be noted, that each plank 2 may be provided with male or fem-ale end, also that said ends may be all of the male or female type, and that several :planksfmay be assembled together in the mannerhereinbefore described, for forming a long plank and that the length of which may be made to suit any particular condition or requirement.

In this manner a light in weight and very rigid plank may be provided, the sections of which may be carried and transported, and then assembled to any desired length as in practice may be found most desirable.

In order to insure said locking position of said planks, a suitable safety lock 52 is provided at one or each end thereof. In the present instance, a safety lock is provided at the female end of said plank 2 and at the front header member 4 thereof.

Said safety lock 52 is mounted upon the underside surface of said bottom plate 12, comprising a cross member 54 which extends transversely of the width of said plank, each end thereof having a pin member 56 and 58 which is slidably mounted within their respective brackets 60 and 62.

Said brackets having suitable side plates 64 and 66 which are welded in place and upon said plate section 12.

When said plank ends are assembled, then said safety lock 52 is forced frontwardly, thus causing the extended ends 68 and of said pin members 56 and 58 respectively, to bear against the underside section of the corresponding rear header member ID, thereby preventing each joint of said plank sections from becoming disengaged and unlocked.

Since any end of a plank section may be provided with said locking extensions 34 and 36, thereby providing a female type end therein, and since the male type plank section may be readily assembled in the manner herein before provided, so that a long continuous plank of any suitable length may be assembled, and in assembling, said plank sections may be so arranged whereby each end of a long plank may have said extensions 34 and 36 protruding therefrom, therefore said slots 38 of said extensions may be used for attaching same over the rungs of a ladder, or a pair of them, said slots 38 serving as means for preventing a plank from slipping or falling out of position.

While I have thus described my invention with great particularity, it will be clear that the same may be modified throughout a wide range.

I accordingly do not propose to be limited to the exact details of construction herein shown on the drawings and described in the specification, but reserve the rights in practice to make the necessary changes and modifications therein,

which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention;

1. In an extensible plank of the class described comprising, a. pair of side channels, a pair of end headers one of which being connected to the respective ends of said side channels and having a pair of boards laid tightly in the space provided by saidpair of channels and said headers. a front and header and a rear end header in said extensible plank, a cross rod member at the underside of said rear end header extending partially from the sides thereof, and a pair of locking extension members provided at and extending from said front end header, for providing male and female ends for said extensible plank.

2. In an extensible plank of the class described as defined in claim 1, wherein said male end header member is provided with a safety lock means disposed at the underside section thereof for locking an abutting female end header of a corresponding plank and for locking said male and female header ends together.

3. In an extensible plank of the class described, comprising, a pair of side channel members, a front end header and a rear end header connecting the extended ends of said side channel mem-- bers, a pair of extension members connecting said front end header, and each having a looking slot at their respective ends, thereby providing female ends for said plank and for interlocking the male ends of corresponding planks.

4. In an extensible plank of the class described as defined in claim 3, wherein one end header is provided with an upper ledge member and the other end header is provided with a bottom ledge member, for interlocking and for sealing the abutment of the ends when a pair of planks are put together and locked in place.

5. In an extensible plank of the class described, as defined in claim 3, wherein the rear end header is provided with a cross rod member, at the underside section thereof, for engaging said locking slots of said extension members provided in said female ends of said plank.

LEWIS CLEF McCLINTOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 802,126 Van Etten Oct. 17, 1905 962,691 Andersen June 28, 1910 983,188 Walters Jan. 31, 1911 1,312,994 Leonard Aug. 12, 1919 1,356,819 Heydecke Oct. 26, 1920 1,360,724 Connolly Nov. 30, 1920 1,470,122 Schuler Oct. 9, 1923 1,658,670 Corbett Feb. 7, 1928 2,031,811 Azzara Feb. 25, 1936 2,261,831 Farr et a1 Nov. 4, 1941 2,335,046 Droeger Nov. 23, 1943 

